Shloka 24
भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय ७२: सैन्यगुणवर्णनम्, व्यूहरक्षा, दैव-पुरुषकारचिन्ता
भीमसेनस्तत: क्रुद्धों भारद्वाजमविध्यत । संरक्षन् सात्यकिं राजन् द्रोणाच्छस्त्रभृतां वरात्
bhīmasenas tataḥ kruddho bhāradvājam avidhyat | saṁrakṣan sātyakiṁ rājan droṇāc chastrabhṛtāṁ varāt ||
Sañjaya sprach: Dann traf Bhīmasena, von Zorn entflammt, Bhāradvāja (Droṇa) mit seinen Pfeilen. O König, indem er Sātyaki vor Droṇa—dem Besten unter den Waffenträgern—schützte, durchbohrte Bhīma den Lehrmeister mit seinen Geschossen.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
In the chaos of battle, a warrior’s dharma often appears as protective responsibility: Bhīma prioritizes safeguarding an ally (Sātyaki) even when it requires confronting a revered and formidable teacher-warrior like Droṇa. The verse highlights duty-driven action under pressure, while also hinting at the moral tension between righteous protection and anger-fueled violence.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Bhīma, angered, shoots and pierces Droṇa with arrows. The immediate context is defensive: Bhīma is protecting Sātyaki from Droṇa, who is described as the foremost among weapon-wielders.